AAW Symposium Planning Guide

The AAW Symposium being held this month in St. Paul, Minnesota, looks to be an amazing event. If you are planning on attending you may want to download the Symposium Planning Guide. And if you are unable to attend, the planning guide looks like a great overview of what is planned.

A quick look at the guide shows that there are 78 demonstrators and panelists, including some who have demonstrated at SPSW meetings. There are four exhibits including a retrospective on David Ellsworth’s turning career and items from the AAW Permanent Collection. There will be eight galleries, including an instant gallery, the Chapter Collaborative Challenge, and emerging artists. There is a banquet Saturday night and a trade show throughout the weekend.

There are also gatherings of the virtual chapters – Ornamental Turners International, Segmented Woodturners and Principally Pens.

You can download either a low-res version or a high-res version from the AAW Website.

AAW

May Board Minutes Posted

For those SPSW members who like to keep up with what is happening at the board meetings, the minutes of the May 31st meeting have been posted. Look under “For Members\Board Minutes\2011\May”

members

Segmented Woodturners June Chapter Summary

The Segmented Woodturners virtual chapter of the AAW has released the June Club Summary. Here are some of the goings on:

June is membership renewal month and all members will need to renew before June 30th in order to continue to have access to the full site, like the forum, gallery, and links. Renewal is easier that ever and can be completed through the club website. And with your renewal, or new membership, you will receive a free DVD of the Symposium that was held at Arrowmont last November.

Some of the classes available at the AAW Symposium in St. Paul this month will be conducted by the Segmented Woodturners Chapter president, Malcolm Tibbetts. The classes include:

  • Introduction to Segmented Woodturning
  • Checkered Hollow Form
  • Tricks and Tips for Segmenters
  • Segmented Sculpture
  • Stave Construction

Planning for the next segmented symposium is going on. The date has been set (subject to change) for Oct. 19-21, 2012 at South Lake Tahoe, CA. Suggestions for demonstrators are being requested so make sure to submit your choice.

The June 2011 edition of the American Woodturner has a great five page article on the 2nd Segmented Woodturners symposium. The article also has plenty of pictures too! It’s well worth checking out.

With the current spate of publicized woodturning injuries, a poll is being taken as to how many members use a face shield while turning. As of the time of the club summary, 54 members have replied and 24% of the responders indicated that they “rarely” used a face shield.

Some of the current forum discussions include:

  • How to maintain focus when working with large projects and keeping all in order
  • A discussion on the most efficient way to cut staves for segments
  • A member is getting ready to re-organize his shop and was looking for recommendations on sliding miter saws
  • A question about the best glue to use for gluing acrylic pen blank material into a segmented ring

At last year’s Segmented Turning Symposium, Jamie Donaldson conducted a photography session. He has recently given permission to distribute his training guide, Donaldson Phrugal Photo Studio. You can download it from the Segmented Woodturners website, but you must be logged in first to see it.

The chapter website received 6,146 unique visitors in March and 444,205 page views.

AAW / chapter profile / segmented

June Membership Meeting

The second of this year’s Mini Symposium’s. These are always an extremely popular event. Get there early and enjoy not only Beth’s wonderful refreshments, but also your chance to learn from some of your fellow club members. It is amazing that I learn something new at each one of these events. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge and skill in our club. Join in on the conversations at each of the demonstration areas. You too will be amazed at not only what you can learn, but also what you can impart to your fellows. This month’s demonstrators:

dan stromstadDan Stromstad – bowl turning

 

 

 

 

968529898_y2ldz-l-1Paul Crabtree – bowl hollowing

 

 

 

 

Carol Zandel – little bitty things

 

 

 

 

 

stephanie laneStephanie Lane – pyrography

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Wayne – small platters

 

 

 

 

 

Warren Swift – small jigs

This will be your first chance to see someone turning on our new Powermatic. Don’t miss this event.

Membership Meeting / woodturning events

What’s Happening at Other Chapters

The Woodturners of Olympia will be holding their Turn and Learn event at their June 23rd meeting. Topics to be covered include coloring/dyeing, turn a pen for our Military Personnel, finishing projects – wax, varnish, photography methods turning bottle stoppers, turning hollow forms and platters w/ band inserts. The meeting starts at 6:30 with a potluck preceding at 5:30.

The Seattle Woodturners meeting is scheduled for June 9th and will feature Dick Watson. Dick will be demonstrating the skew. His talk will cover five basic cuts, different types of skews, as well as sharpening techniques.

The Northwest Woodturners meeting will feature pen fabrication and design with Mitch Patton. They will also be holding a Learn-to-Turn session at the Rockler Annex in Beaverton, Oregon on June 11th, 9:30 am to 1 pm. This is an especially good opportunity for new turners to bring questions, pet projects, tools to be mastered and have plenty of expert willing help.

The Beaver State Woodturners in Eugene, Oregon will be meeting June 27, 6:00 PM at the Woodcraft in Eugene. The demonstration will be provided by Dean Jordan on metal spinning.

woodturning events

You Can Never Be Too Safe, Part 2

Yesterday’s post about the tragic accident involving turner Joan Kelly is a reminder to make sure you follow all safety procedures when turning. The following are safety guidelines published by the AAW:

1. Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses that include side protectors. Use a full faceshield for bowl, vessel or any turning involving chucks and faceplates.

2. Fine particles from a grinder and wood dust are harmful to your respiratory system. Use a dust mask, air filtration helmet, proper ventilation, dust collection system or a combination of these to deal with this serious issue. Be especially mindful of dust from many exotic woods, spalted woods or any wood from which you notice a skin or respiratory reaction.

3. Wear hearing protection during extended periods of turning time.

4. Turn the lathe “off” before adjusting the tool rest or tool rest base (banjo).

5. Remove chuck keys, adjusting wrenches and knockout bars. Form a habit of checking for these before turning on the lathe.

6. Tie back long hair, do not wear gloves, and avoid loose clothing, jewelry or any dangling objects that may catch on rotating parts or accessories.

7. When using a faceplate, be certain the workpiece is solidly mounted with stout screws (#10 or #12 sheet metal screws as a minimum). Do not use dry wall or deck screws. When turning between centers, be certain the workpiece is firmly mounted between the headstock driving center and tailstock center.

8. Make certain that the belt guard or cover is in place.

9. Check that all locking devices on the tailstock and tool rest assembly (rest and base) are tight before operating the lathe.

10. Make sure the blank is securely fastened.

11. Rotate your workpiece by hand to make sure it clears the toolrest and bed before turning the lathe “on”. Be certain that the workpiece turns freely and is firmly mounted. A handwheel on the headstock simplifies this process of spinning the lathe by hand before turning on the switch.

12. Be aware of what turners call the “red zone” or “firing zone.” This is the area directly behind and in front of the workpiece—the areas most likely for a piece to travel as it comes off the lathe. A good safety habit is to step out of this zone when turning on the lathe, keeping your hand on the switch in case you need to turn the machine off. When observing someone else turn, stay out of this zone.

13. ALWAYS CHECK THE SPEED OF THE LATHE BEFORE TURNING IT ON. Use slower speeds for larger diameters or rough pieces, and higher speeds for smaller diameters and pieces that are balanced. Always start a piece at a slower speed until the workpiece is balanced. If the lathe is shaking or vibrating, lower the speed. If the workpiece vibrates, always stop the machine to check the reason. As a starting point, consult your operator’s manual for recommended speeds for a particular lathe. Make sure the lathe speed is compatible with the size of the blank.

14. Exercise extra caution when using stock with cracks, splits, checks, bark pockets, knots, irregular shapes, or protuberances. Beginners should avoid these types of stock until they have greater knowledge of working such wood.

15. Hold turning tools securely on the toolrest, holding the tool in a controlled but comfortable manner. Always contact the tool rest with the tool before contacting the wood.

16. When running a lathe in reverse, it is possible for a chuck or faceplate to unscrew unless it is securely tightened or locked on the lathe spindle.

17. Know your capabilities and limitations. An experienced woodturner is capable of lathe speeds, techniques and procedures not recommended for beginning turners.

18. Always remove the tool rest before sanding, finishing or polishing operations.

19. Don’t overreach, keep proper footing and balance at all times.

20. Keep lathe in good repair. Check for damaged parts, alignment, binding of moving parts and other conditions that may affect its operation.

21. Keep tools sharp and clean for better and safer
performance. Don’t force a dull tool. Don’t use a tool for a purpose it was not designed or intended.

22. Consider your work environment. Don’t use a lathe in damp or wet locations. Do not use in presence of flammable liquids or gases, and always keep a fully-charged fire extinguisher close at hand. Keep your work area well lit.

23. Stay alert. Watch what you are doing, pay close attention to unusual sounds or vibrations – stop the lathe to investigate the cause. Don’t operate machines when you are tired or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

24. Guard against electric shock. Inspect electric cords for damage. Avoid the use of extension cords.

25. Never leave the lathe running unattended. Turn power off. Don’t leave lathe until it comes to a complete stop.

26. A significant number of accidents to woodturners occur while using saws, especially band and chain saws. Learn and follow the safety guidelines for these machines before operation.

AAW / safety